Hongli's marriage was arranged in February. When he told Su Yushan about it, she blinked her eyelashes and only gave a faint "oh" without saying anything more.
This is an inevitable historical event, and Su Yushan cannot change it, so she doesn't want to say anything more.
During this time, the two tacitly agreed not to mention the matter again, as if bringing it up would lead to unpleasantness. Until July 17th, the night before the wedding, Hongli thought it over and over and still felt that he should make things clear to her.
"Tomorrow I will get married and bring my wife into the family."
No matter how much she tried to avoid it, the day had finally come. Su Yushan lowered her eyelashes, the smile in her eyes gradually fading, and said softly, "Yes, I know."
That was all he said, nothing more. Though it was simple, it made him feel uneasy. He tentatively asked, "Don't you have anything you want to tell me?"
She had so much to say, but in the end, she couldn't utter a single word. She felt that anything she said would be superfluous. "Congratulations on your wedding, Fourth Master."
Everyone was offering their congratulations, and even Su Yushan said such polite words to hurt his feelings. With a bitter smile, Hongli sighed softly:
"For me, this is not a happy occasion. You should know very well how I have treated you over the past six months. I like you, that's beyond doubt. If you were a Manchu woman, perhaps I could make an exception and ask Father Emperor to make you a Fujin. Although there is no precedent for a princess to be promoted to Fujin, at least I could try to fight for it. Unfortunately, you are Han Chinese, so I don't even have the right to fight for it."
"You must know that the requirements for the family background of a prince's consort are extremely strict. She must be from a noble family whose lineage can be traced back three generations. I can make exceptions for you in other matters, but on this matter, I must obey Father Emperor's arrangement."
Su Yushan understood all these profound principles, and she also understood that Hongli just wanted to hear him say: I understand you, and I won't blame you.
She did understand the rules of the past; given her status, she had no right to complain, nor would she cause a scene. But a crack had appeared in her heart, one that was difficult to mend.
She couldn't bring herself to say anything against her will; everything she wanted to say at this moment was from the bottom of her heart. Mustering her courage, she looked at Hongli, her throat tightening, and whispered:
"Thank you, Fourth Master, for weaving such a beautiful dream for me. I have been very happy these past six months."
Her words sounded gentle, but her tone and expression were like a farewell, which gave Hongli an ominous premonition.
"What do you mean by that? Does it mean we won't be happy anymore? Yushan, our relationship isn't a dream! My kindness towards you comes from the bottom of my heart. I've been good to you before, and I'll be good to you in the future. I'm telling you this so you can understand:"
This situation is different. I can ignore the other maids and not go to their rooms, but if I marry the princess, even if I can't give her affection, I must give her the dignity of a principal wife. So tomorrow night, on our wedding night, I can only stay in the bridal chamber with her. But this doesn't mean I don't love you anymore. You are the only one who has ever entered my heart.
Hongli telling her this beforehand was probably an implication that he would definitely consummate his marriage with his wife the next night, and that she shouldn't mind.
Su Yushan had known all along that Hongli's future wife and empress would both be from the Fuca clan. She knew this in her heart, but had always avoided the question. However, what was destined to happen would eventually happen; the wheels of history would not change direction based on individual will. Therefore, Su Yushan decided not to say anything more and forced a smile.
"Okay, I understand. I'll go to bed early tomorrow night and won't wait for you."
She was smiling, but he could tell how forced it was. "You're still blaming me, aren't you?"
Some things are better left unsaid; once said, they shouldn't be brought up again. His insistence on getting to the bottom of things is clearly an attempt to hurt her feelings!
Her nose stung slightly, and Su Yushan looked at him with eyes full of grief and indignation. "I make a scene, and you're unhappy. I laugh, and you're still not satisfied. What exactly do you want from me?"
Yes! What does he really want? Does he want her to accept it happily? But if she really doesn't react at all, and isn't sad at all, then he'll wonder if she doesn't care about him.
Hongli suddenly felt conflicted. He knew what Su Yushan wanted and what she minded, but he selfishly asked for her understanding. Wasn't that just making things difficult for her?
With a deep sigh, Hongli asked no more questions and simply reached out to pull her into his arms.
"I was just worried that you would blame me or misunderstand me. I was trying to explain to you because I was afraid it would upset you, but I ended up hurting you anyway. That wasn't my intention. Never mind! If you don't want to hear it, I won't mention it. After the wedding, I will still love and pamper you as before."
Can we go back to the way things were? How could that be? Su Yushan, forced to lean on his shoulder, gave a bitter smile and ultimately didn't argue anymore.
July 18th was the wedding day of the fourth prince, Hongli, and his primary consort, Lady Fucha.
Today, Lady Fucha is wearing a dark blue auspicious robe, which is decorated with four five-clawed dragons, one on each shoulder and one on the front and back. The ruby on the top of her crown shines brightly in the sunlight!
The gold-embroidered collar around the neck is adorned with about seven pearls, interspersed with coral, and has two golden ribbons hanging from both ends, making it exquisite, luxurious, and exuding an air of elegance.
The woman before him was his wife. Her appearance and demeanor were impeccable, and she possessed the graceful and dignified air of a lady from a noble family.
Everyone said they were a perfect match, a match made in heaven. If Su Yushan hadn't existed, perhaps Hongli would have been interested in his wife. Unfortunately, he was already in the first place; Su Yushan had already entered his heart, so no matter how beautiful other women were, they were irrelevant to him.
However, with the emperor's decree above all else, he could not disobey, nor could he even show any dissatisfaction. He had to put on a smiling face and do a good job of putting on a show.
As the auspicious hour approached, the nanny covered the Fujin's head with a veil. Hongli, dressed in a crimson auspicious robe, accompanied Fucha Shi, performing the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony as they went to pay their respects to Emperor Yongzheng and Consort Xi, among others.
Afterwards, everyone went to the Hall of Preserving Harmony, where Emperor Yongzheng held a palace banquet to entertain his wife, relatives, and princes and ministers of the third rank and above.
After the banquet, Hongli left the palace with his wife. They were escorted by the Imperial Guards in a decorated palanquin, with ministers of the Inner Court and noblewomen accompanying them. The procession proceeded in a grand procession to the residence of the Fourth Prince.
The maids in the mansion waited at the gate early in the morning to welcome the princess into the mansion.
Su Yushan was among them. Hongli saw her immediately upon his return, but she stood at the very edge, her eyes always lowered, avoiding eye contact with him.
After the palanquin stopped, all the maids curtsied in unison, saying, "Welcome, Madam! We pay our respects to Madam."
The old woman beside her lifted the sedan curtain, and a pair of embroidered shoes with mandarin ducks and peonies stepped out of the sedan door. She said softly, "No need for formalities, everyone."
Because of the veil covering her face, no one could see the princess's appearance, but judging from her gentle voice, she must be an easy person to get along with.
Jin Minjing had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Fujin (principal wife). She wanted to see how arrogant Su Yushan would be after the mistress of the house was here. Could she still dare to compete with the Fujin for the emperor's favor?
In reality, Su Yushan's mind was blank at this moment. She just followed the others in bowing blankly. She didn't want to look at Hongli's expression, whether he was happy or sad. If she looked at him for even a moment, her heart would ache.
She could only keep reminding herself that she was just an outsider, that her role had come to an end, and that what followed would be the scene of Hongli and his wife's deep affection. What she should do was to find her place and take back her heart!
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